A new squad assembled at the beginning of last season took time to find their feet – but when they did, Princes Park was rocking again, as the players put on a superb run in the league.
A third-place finish and a play-off final defeat sadly saw the team miss out on promotion by a whisker.
But before the final whistle of 24/25 had blown, Ady was already planning for the new season.
And now, with the first match of 25/26 just days away, the manager is excited to watch these plans unfold and get back to the football.
He said: “It’s a very good changing room, there’s a great togetherness there already. And they’ve put the work in during pre-season, whether that’s running up the hills or ball work, they’ve all been on it.
“I am looking to improve on last season. That’s what I want to see. And I believe we have a squad that’s capable of doing that.
“It’s been a long pre-season but we are raring to go. Now the hard work really starts and we are all really looking forward to getting the season going and getting off to a good start.”
Ady released a number of players at the end of the season, with captain Josh Hill retiring.
But not only did Ady keep the core of his squad together, he had many sign new contracts with the players feeling the Club is on the verge of something special.
Ady has worked tirelessly over the past few months to supplement and improve on what he already had. He has brought in goalkeeper Jonny Henley; two defenders in Sam Smith and Ben Frempah; two midfielders in Ikechi Eze and Sammie McLeod and striker Dan Smith.
He said: “The players that left were not just good players, but good people in general and they were excellent for us. But I have done a lot of miles over the summer to get the right people in who can help us improve.
“I have a lot of conversations with players before signing them. They have to fit in with what we have and want to be part of what we are building. The new players have fitted in really well.
“I believe in first impressions. And I have had good first impressions from every one of the boys who have signed and I hope they had a good first impression of me and the Club.
“I’m very, very happy with what we have. We have brought in some younger players, but also a lot of experience and we have a great balance and many of the players can play in numerous positions which really helps.”
Pre-season for Ady is about fitness and tactics – and hopefully getting over the line without any injuries.
He continued: “We had an injury with Deano which was very unfortunate. He’s had an op on his knee and we are awaiting the outcome of that. We all wish him the best and a speedy recovery. Dan fell on his head in one of the games and had concussion, but will be back training before the season starts.
“Apart from that, I’ve been really pleased with how it went. You don’t really care about the results; you want to see how they react and to start getting your ideas over. You don’t win any games in pre-season!
“Pre-season games are OK, you can get in good habits, but these boys have jobs and come a Tuesday evening friendly, they may not be right at it. But come the beginning of the season, you’ll get that extra 25 per cent from them as there’s something on the game.
“The rewards really come in the season when you get those three points.”
So, what are Ady’s expectations for the season?
He continued: “I don’t set targets. I want to see improvement on last season. I keep it under my hat and keep it in the changing room. The boys know what I want and what I expect.
“We want to play well week-in-week out, but that’s not going to happen. We want to win every game, but it’s just not the reality of it.
“It’s a really tough league and there are some good teams who have spent a lot of money. Then you have decisions going against you. We had a lot of them last season.
“I want them to wear the shirt with pride and for them to give 100 per cent every game and we definitely have the players here that will always do that.”
With supporter numbers growing through the season, Ady saved his last few words for them.
He added: “The supporters have been amazing. They can see what we are trying to do as a club. We are trying to rebuild the foundations. That’s not just on the pitch, but off it.
“They can now see that everyone is on the same page and working very hard to get the Club in a good position. That’s not just for this season, but for the future.
“There’s a feel-good factor at the Club now and that has transferred to the players.
“A cup run would be great. Last season we ended up with Worthing away. But it would really help with the finances.
“But I ask for the supporters to keep coming and giving us their support. Sing loud and get behind the team. We are doing our bits on and off the pitch, but the Club is the supporters too and we need everyone to be in this together and we will see what we can achieve.
